Shaking or freezing breast milk harms it

First time I've posted on this board. I found an article on kellymom.com that talks about shaking and freezing breast milk harming the milk's structure. Anyone have any information that contradicts this, or talks about it not being a material change in composition? As a working mom I depend on frozen milk, and looking for sources that discuss the effects of freezing and shaking on milk to know how much I should worry about this article. Thanks in advance!

First time I've posted on this board. I found an article on kellymom.com that talks about shaking and freezing breast milk harming the milk's structure. Anyone have any information that contradicts this, or talks about it not being a material change in composition? As a working mom I depend on frozen milk, and looking for sources that discuss the effects of freezing and shaking on milk to know how much I should worry about this article. Thanks in advance!

I have no idea if this is true or not, but oh well if it is. DS's milk was always shaken once it was warmed, and he turned out okay. I didn't have to freeze it too often because I kept up with his demand on a daily basis, but he did occasionally get some previously frozen milk.

Even if I found out this were true, I'm still doing the same with my new little one. She'll get the same shaken/frozen milk that he got once I return to work:-)

I have no idea if this is true or not, but oh well if it is. DS's milk was always shaken once it was warmed, and he turned out okay. I didn't have to freeze it too often because I kept up with his demand on a daily basis, but he did occasionally get some previously frozen milk.

Even if I found out this were true, I'm still doing the same with my new little one. She'll get the same shaken/frozen milk that he got once I return to work:-)

I am reading the Nursing Mothers Companion right now and it talks all about storing and breastmilk and does not mention one bit about it being harmful. Also Le Leche League websites tell you the proper way to store and care for breastmilk as well. I do not believe for a moment that freezing breastmilk harms it and I don't honestly see how shaking it would either.

I am reading the Nursing Mothers Companion right now and it talks all about storing and breastmilk and does not mention one bit about it being harmful. Also Le Leche League websites tell you the proper way to store and care for breastmilk as well. I do not believe for a moment that freezing breastmilk harms it and I don't honestly see how shaking it would either.

I read basically the same thing, that if you warm up a bottle of bm up too fast, that it will also alter the chemical composition/structure (honestly, I don't recall how they worded it, but that's the best I can do). Either way, it's not as though that freezing, thawing and shaking a bm bottle is going to alter the milk so badly that it's going to do any harm to your child, I'm sure it's still better than formula feeding. Which I'm not against, cause I do it, I'm just saying....

Honestly, as another poster said: if it were a bad thing, why would the NICU units give babies frozen bm?

I read basically the same thing, that if you warm up a bottle of bm up too fast, that it will also alter the chemical composition/structure (honestly, I don't recall how they worded it, but that's the best I can do). Either way, it's not as though that freezing, thawing and shaking a bm bottle is going to alter the milk so badly that it's going to do any harm to your child, I'm sure it's still better than formula feeding. Which I'm not against, cause I do it, I'm just saying....

Honestly, as another poster said: if it were a bad thing, why would the NICU units give babies frozen bm?

Like others have said, even if it does loose some of its good qualities- it is still good for your baby.Anyway, you don't really need to freeze the milk you pump at work -just put it in the fridge it is good for days. When I was pumping Isaac would get refrigerated milk from the day before- if I had a bad supply day or it was the first day after a break or something my sitter would dip into the frozen stash but the majority of the time it was fresh.

Like others have said, even if it does loose some of its good qualities- it is still good for your baby.Anyway, you don't really need to freeze the milk you pump at work -just put it in the fridge it is good for days. When I was pumping Isaac would get refrigerated milk from the day before- if I had a bad supply day or it was the first day after a break or something my sitter would dip into the frozen stash but the majority of the time it was fresh.

I have never heard that freezing breast milk harms it, but I have heard that you are supposed to swirl it rather than shake it. I don't have anything to back that up, I used to work in day care and one of the moms asked us to swirl it because she was afraid shaking would harm it.

I have never heard that freezing breast milk harms it, but I have heard that you are supposed to swirl it rather than shake it. I don't have anything to back that up, I used to work in day care and one of the moms asked us to swirl it because she was afraid shaking would harm it.

Ugh I don't put that much stock in anything a WIC nutritionist has to say. I had one tell me formula feeding was best for the baby because you could guarantee what nutrients they were getting better than if you were just trying to control your diet, and another tell me I should feed my 5-month-old peanut butter because it's got good protein, regardless of the choking hazard and the fact that I'm allergic to peanuts and there was a high likelihood my son would be too. Nutritionists at WIC don't know their a$$ from their elbow in my experience LOL

Ugh I don't put that much stock in anything a WIC nutritionist has to say. I had one tell me formula feeding was best for the baby because you could guarantee what nutrients they were getting better than if you were just trying to control your diet, and another tell me I should feed my 5-month-old peanut butter because it's got good protein, regardless of the choking hazard and the fact that I'm allergic to peanuts and there was a high likelihood my son would be too. Nutritionists at WIC don't know their a$$ from their elbow in my experience LOL

Erin and Chad
In love since September 6, 2000
Married since April 27, 2008

Logan John Whitman
June 19, 2008
9:38 pm
10 lbs. 10 oz.
22 in.

Cody Ryan
December 28, 2004
12:49 am
9 lbs. 6 oz.
21 in.

From:
flynnq12

To: mel32250

Posted: May-06 09:49 PM (13 of 54)

If you produce a lot of lipase in your milk, freezing it will make it taste rancid. Also, if you have this issue, shaking it can also make it go rancid fast. My window for milk starting to turn after pumping was only a few hours...that is w/o any shaking. I learned this when I was researching how to handle milk that contained a lot of lipase. hth

If you produce a lot of lipase in your milk, freezing it will make it taste rancid. Also, if you have this issue, shaking it can also make it go rancid fast. My window for milk starting to turn after pumping was only a few hours...that is w/o any shaking. I learned this when I was researching how to handle milk that contained a lot of lipase. hth

You can most definitely freeze it, but you should never shake it. And you don't need to - let it thaw and it gently rotate the bottle. It does lose some of it nutrition by freezing it, but you will be nursing her when you are home, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

You can most definitely freeze it, but you should never shake it. And you don't need to - let it thaw and it gently rotate the bottle. It does lose some of it nutrition by freezing it, but you will be nursing her when you are home, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Natalie, proud Mommy to Henry (born 12/26/08) and Madeleine (born 5/25/11).

From:
KDD2008

To: felixthenat

Posted: May-04 07:07 PM (18 of 54)

The shaking rule is because of bubbles though right? I can't imagine it damages the nutrients, but I know you aren't supposed to shake formula for the same reason - lots of bubbles that can cause gas and general baby discomfort.

The shaking rule is because of bubbles though right? I can't imagine it damages the nutrients, but I know you aren't supposed to shake formula for the same reason - lots of bubbles that can cause gas and general baby discomfort.

We did it all the time and Jacob never had a problem, but he has always been a particularly easy baby in that respect. We could give him bottles straight out of the fridge and he never care. As long as it was food he'd consume it! But I know a lot of babies had problems with gas if they had bottles that were made that way.

We did it all the time and Jacob never had a problem, but he has always been a particularly easy baby in that respect. We could give him bottles straight out of the fridge and he never care. As long as it was food he'd consume it! But I know a lot of babies had problems with gas if they had bottles that were made that way.

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